Apparatus and method for providing a game service using a game card in a mobile terminal

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for providing a game service using a game card in a mobile terminal are provided. A card recognizer recognizes card information from each game card of one or more corresponding users. A memory stores card information recognized from each game card of the one or more corresponding users and a game program for a game service. A controller controls the card recognizer to recognize card information from the game card, compares the recognized card information of each of the game cards corresponding to the one or more users, and displays a result of the comparison.

PRIORITY

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of a Korean patent application filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Apr. 16, 2008 and assigned Serial No. 10-2008-0035227, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a game providing apparatus and method of a mobile terminal in a mobile communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for providing a table card game in a mobile terminal.

2. Description of the Related Art

Mobile terminals are portable devices that can transmit/receive voice and data almost anywhere at anytime. Mobile terminals are categorized into a portable telephone, a Work Analysis Program (WAP) phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a web pad, etc. which are currently used by many users to extend the mobility of their personal services.

Basic services include services for voice communication and video data transmission/reception using mobile terminals. Services other than a basic services provided through the mobile terminals can be classified into a voice information service for providing information on news, sports, stocks, weather, etc. by voice from a mobile communication service provider in addition to information on communication success and communication quality that are important during use of the mobile terminal, a text service for providing stock information by text, a traffic state service for providing traffic state information, and a communication service for providing information from a Personal Computer (PC) communication search, Internet access, fax, e-mail, etc.

Due to the increasing demands of mobile terminal users for advanced services in addition to the above additional services, the availability of services for providing broadcast services and game contents through mobile communication service providers and/or Internet web sites is increasing. More specifically, a broadcast service such as Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) can be provided through the mobile terminal, and various videos and images can be transmitted and received by virtue of high data rates.

As a processing rate of a processor disposed in the mobile terminal has been improved and service demands of mobile terminal users for games have increased, mobile terminal manufacturers or mobile communication service providers provide various game contents to meet the demands. Accordingly, game phones are being developed so that users can play games with three-dimensional graphics and sounds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the present invention is to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method capable of providing a game service through a mobile terminal.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method capable of providing a game service using a recognizable game card in a mobile terminal.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method capable of providing a game service using a game card to a plurality of mobile terminals connected via a network.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method capable of recognizing a game card through a mobile terminal.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a card recognizer for recognizing card information from each game card of one or more corresponding users, a memory for storing the card information recognized from each game card of the one or more corresponding users and a game program for a game service, and a controller for controlling the card recognizer to recognize card information from the game card, for comparing the recognized card information of each of the game cards corresponding to the one or more users, and for displaying a result of the comparison.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided. The method includes: recognizing card information from each of a plurality of game cards, each of the plurality of games cards corresponding to a user, comparing recognized card information of a corresponding user to recognized card information of at least one other corresponding user, and displaying a result of the comparison.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses exemplary embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an internal structure of a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a state diagram illustrating an operation for recognizing a Table Card Game (TCG) card through a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which a mobile terminal recognizes a TCG card according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing a game service using a game card in a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing a game service using a game card in a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Throughout the drawings, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features and structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of exemplary embodiments of the invention as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes reference to one or more of such surfaces.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide various card game services to users through mobile terminals by enabling game cards, such as Table Card Game (TCG) cards that are widely supplied in offline game markets, to be used through the mobile terminals. Hereinafter, a game card to which exemplary embodiments of the present invention are applied will be referred to as a TCG card.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the TCG card is a game card on which an image of an animal, animation character, or monster (hereinafter, referred to as character) and a score such as an ability value for comparing TCG cards to each other are provided. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, for example, various information available during the card game such as a comparable score like the above-described ability value in the TCG card and code information corresponding to a graphic printed on the TCG card or sound can be implemented as a recognizable code such as a bar code. The mobile terminal can recognize the recognizable code by associating the recognizable code to the TCG card.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal capable of recognizing a TCG card will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an internal structure of a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a radio processor 110 transmits and receives data via an ANTenna (ANT). A modem 120 encodes and modulates data to be transmitted or demodulates and decodes data received through the radio processor 110. A memory 150 stores a game program capable of performing a game using a TCG card. The memory 150 can store a recognizable code according to a result of s recognition of the TCG card, and store one or more of sound information, a character-specific graphic image corresponding to the recognizable code, etc. according to a game.

A card recognizer 140 for recognizing the TCG card includes a camera driver 141 for driving a camera 143 and the camera 143 for recognizing a recognizable code or image of the TCG card captured by the camera 143. The camera 143 captures the recognizable code or image through a lens. The camera 143 includes a camera sensor (not shown) for converting a captured optical signal into an electrical signal. The camera sensor may be a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) sensor or a Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensor. It is assumed that the card recognizer 140 uses a conventional digital camera provided in the mobile terminal. Alternatively, a variety of known code information recognizers or a Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) receiver, when an RFID tag is attached to the TCG card, may be used. For example, the recognizable code can be attached to (or printed on) the TCG card in a bar code form. The camera 143 is used for recognizing the recognizable code, such as the bar code. The game program stored in the memory 150 can include a program for driving and controlling the camera 143 to separately recognize a score and a character image printed on the TCG card when the recognizable code according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is not viewable on the TCG card. In the following description, the recognizable code capable of being recognized through the TCG card, the information and character image viewable on the TCG card, etc. are referred to as card information.

Referring to FIG. 1, a display 160 visually displays a graphic image based on a game result and an analysis result of the TCG card. The display 160 may be provided as a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). In this case, the display 160 may include a controller for controlling the LCD, a video memory in which image data is stored and an LCD element. An audio processor 170 includes a MICrophone (MIC) and a SPeaKer (SPK) for outputting the sound effect. Although not illustrated in FIG. 1, an input unit, such as a touch screen, keypad, etc. may be included to receive various user inputs used to play the card game. If the input unit is provided as a touch screen, the display unit 160 may perform a part or all of the functions of the input unit.

A controller 130 controls the camera driver 141 according to the game program stored in the memory 150 so that the camera 143 can be used to recognize the TCG card. After comparing the card information of the recognized TCG card to that of a counterpart TCG card, the controller 130 performs a control operation so that the graphic and/or sound effects based on a result of the comparison can be output through the display 160 and/or the speaker (SPK).

Hereinafter, a process in which the mobile terminal recognizes the TCG card will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 is a state diagram illustrating an operation for recognizing a TCG card through a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which a mobile terminal recognizes a TCG card according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, in step 301, the controller 130 controls to drive the camera 143 provided with the mobile terminal 100 according to a user's input. In step 303, the driven camera 143 is set to a view mode. In step 305, at least one TCG card 200 is arranged in a view range 300 of the driven camera 143 as illustrated in FIG. 2. In step 307, card information of the TCG card 200 is recognized through the camera 143. The card information can be a recognizable code 201 having card information of a corresponding TCG card as well as an image 203, 205, or 207 viewable on the TCG card. The controller 130 stores the card information recognized through the camera 143 in the memory 150.

Next, an example of providing a card game service through a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing a game service using a game card in a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, it is assumed that a game service is provided using one mobile terminal. In step 401, a mobile terminal user may download a corresponding program to play a TCG game and store the downloaded program in the memory 150. The program may be downloaded from a computer device through an Internet homepage or wireless Internet of the mobile. In addition, the program may be downloaded to the memory 150 from a removable memory card coupled to the mobile terminal, or through a wired or wireless connection with another mobile terminal or computer device. In step 403, the mobile terminal enters the game mode by running the program stored in the memory 150. In step 405, users that are to play the game are registered. When the registration of the users is complete, the controller 130 drives the camera 143 according to an execution routine of the game program in step 407. In step 409, the driven camera 143 is set to a view mode and at least one TCG card possessed by a user registered in step 405 is arranged in the view range of the camera 143. In step 411, the card information of the TCG card is recognized through the camera 143.

In step 413, the controller 130 determines whether the TCG card is a card to which a recognizable code is viewable thereon. In the case of the TCG card having a recognizable code viewable thereon, the card information of the TCG card is stored in the memory 150 by analyzing the recognizable code of the TCG card in step 415. In the case of the TCG not having a recognizable code viewable thereon, the TCG card information is stored in the memory 150 by analyzing an image printed on the TCG card in step 417.

When a TCG card of another user is to be recognized by determining whether to recognize another TCG card in step 419, the process returns to step 407. Until TCG card information of all the users registered in step 405 is stored, steps 407 to 419 are repeated. When the TCG card information of all the users has been stored, a score is computed by comparing the stored TCG card information of the users according to a corresponding game program in step 421. At this time, a rule for computing the score differs according to a rule of the program downloaded in step 401.

In step 423, a result of the comparison, that is, the game result, is output through the display 160 and a corresponding sound effect may be generated and output through the speaker (SPK). In step 425, it is determined whether the game is continued. If the game is continued, steps 407 to 425 are repeated by proceeding to step 407. Otherwise, the game is terminated.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing a game service using a game card in a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 5, it is assumed that a game service is provided using a plurality of mobile terminals connected via a network.

In order for a mobile terminal user to play a game, a corresponding program may be downloaded and stored in the memory 150 in step 501. The program may be downloaded through an Internet homepage or wireless Internet of the mobile terminal. In addition, the program may be downloaded to the memory 150 from a removable memory card coupled to the mobile terminal, or through a wired or wireless connection with another mobile terminal or computer device. The mobile terminal enters a game mode by running the program stored in the memory 150 in step 503. To play the game with a plurality of mobile terminals, the mobile terminals are coupled via a network in step 505. At this time, the network can be formed through a wireless Local Area Network (LAN), infrared communication, Bluetooth, an ad-hoc network, etc., and is not limited to any one type of network.

In step 507, each of the plurality of mobile terminals drives the camera 143 using the camera driver 141. In step 509, each of the plurality of mobile terminals sets the driven camera 143 to a view mode and at least one TCG card possessed by each user is arranged in a view range of the camera 143 of each user. In step 511, card information of the TCG card is recognized. In step 513, the recognized card information of the TCG card is analyzed and stored in the memory 150. The card information recognized by each mobile terminal is transmitted to other mobile terminals according to the game program through the network. The card information of the TCG card may be recognized using at least one of a recognizable code and an image viewable on the TCG card. In step 515, each mobile terminal determines whether card information of all the other mobile terminals joining the game has been received. When all the card information has been received, the process proceeds to step 519 to compute a score by comparing its own card information stored in the memory to the card information of the other mobile terminals, that is, game counterparts. At this time, a rule for computing the score differs according to a rule of the program downloaded in step 501. When all the card information of the other mobile terminals has not been received in step 515, it proceeds to step 517 to wait for the card information of the other mobile terminals to be received.

In step 521, a result of the comparison, that is, the game result, is output through the display 160 and a corresponding sound effect may be generated and output through the speaker (SPK). In step 523, it is determined whether the game is continued. If the game is continued, steps 507 to 523 are repeated. Otherwise, the game is terminated.

According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention as described above, a card game using a TCG card can be enjoyed through a corresponding program stored in a mobile terminal by recognizing the TCG card using a camera provided with the mobile terminal. According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a game service using a TCG card can be provided to a plurality of mobile terminals connected via a network.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. An apparatus for providing a game service using a game card in a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising: a card recognizer for recognizing card information from each game card of one or more corresponding users; a memory for storing the card information recognized from each game card of the one or more corresponding users and a game program for a game service; and a controller for controlling the card recognizer to recognize card information from the game card, for comparing the recognized card information of each of the game cards corresponding to the one or more users, and for displaying a result of the comparison.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the card recognizer includes a camera for recognizing the card information from each game card of the one or more corresponding users.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the card recognizer recognizes the card information from each game card of the one or more corresponding users by arranging each game card in a view range of the camera.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each game card includes a recognizable code that is viewable on each game card.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the recognizable code includes a bar code.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each game card includes an image that is viewable on each game card.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each game card includes a comparable score that is viewable on each game card.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a receiver for receiving recognized card information.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter for transmitting recognized card information.
 10. A method for providing a game service using a game card in a mobile terminal, the method comprising: recognizing card information from each of a plurality of game cards, each of the plurality of games cards corresponding to a user; comparing recognized card information of a corresponding user to recognized card information of at least one other corresponding user; and displaying a result of the comparison.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the recognizing of the card information includes extracting the card information from a recognizable code that is viewable on each of the plurality of game cards.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the recognizing of the card information includes extracting the card information from an image that is viewable on each of the plurality of game cards.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the recognizing of the card information includes recognizing each of the plurality of game cards through a camera provided with a mobile terminal.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the recognizing of the card information includes recognizing each of the plurality of game cards through a camera provided with a respective mobile terminal corresponding to a same user as the game card being recognized.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the comparing of the recognized card information includes comparing card information recognized at one mobile terminal with card information recognized at at least one other mobile terminal.
 16. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving recognized card information.
 17. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting recognized card information. 